peters



@anni gister GEORGE PENRIGE FARMER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Parent No. 102,931, dated Mey 1o, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN ,MACHINE FOR FOLDING OR WINDING, AND. MEAASURING- CORDIS, &c.

The Schedule referred to in these Llei-tarn Patent and making part of the same I, GEORGE Y Pennies FARMER, ot'A Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a Machine for Measuring, Folding, and'lVi-apping Cord, 85e., of which the following is a specification.

Nat-ure and Object of the Invention,

My invention consistsof an improved'machine, fully described hereafter, for forming skeins of cord, tape, or fine wire of uniform measured length, and for enabling the coils ofeach skein to be tied together or fastened` by a label, upon` which can be marked the length of the skein and the name or trade-mark ofthe maker, die., all as hereafter explained.= f

VDescription of the .Accompanying Drawing.

Figure 1, sheet I, is a side elevation of my improved machine for measuring, folding, and wrapping cord, Soc.;

Figui-e2, a plan View of the same;

Figure 3, sheet 2, an end elevation;

Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 1 2, iig. l;

Figure 5, an elevation of part ot the machine viewed from a side opposite that shown in Iig. 3A; and

Figure (i adetached perspective view, illustrating the operation ofthe machine.

, General Descriplion.

'cated from an adjacent line of shafting, is hung loosely to the shaft B, hut-has projecting from its hub one or more pins, e, which, under the circumstances described hereafter, strike corresponding pins c' of a clutch, F, also hung to the shaft. This clutch is arranged to slide freely upon, vhut is prevented from turning lindependently of the shaft, so that when its pins engage with those of the driving-pulley, the motion ci the latter must he communicated to the shaft.

The clutch is controlled by the forked arm d of a rod, H, which is supported `hy and arranged to slide longitudinally in the standards l) and l1',and which has at one end a knob or handle, f. i 'l The sliding rod H has also, in addition to the arm ci, a second arm, d', which .isso arranged that when the driring-pulley is disengaged from the clutch, the said arm will strike a. stop-pin, g, on one s-ide,of a

ends. (See figs. l and 2.)

wheel `or dislijl, of the shaft ,Rand thus arrest the motion of vthe latter, as hereatten-explained.

The shaft B terminates at one end in a disk ordresin these slots, and arranged to be secured after adjustment by means of nuts i i, adapted to their threaded The winding-arms, which consist f'oflat, tapering strips of metal, do not project outward at right angles t0 the face-plate, but are slightly inclined in opposite i directions, so that, as best observed in g. l, they shall be at agreater distance apart from each other at their outer extremities than ata point close to the lace-plate.

, In the face-plate, adjacent to the slot h, which re- A ceives the end of the winding-arm K, is formed another Y parallel slot, h', topwhich is adapted an adjustable har,

L, somewhat shorter than the winding-arms.

To the ontr end of this bar is hung a spring lever, j, of lc he peculiar bent form shown in figs. 2 and 6, and on 'the arm adjacentv to this spring lever is Aan adjustable plate, l, towhich is secured a wire, coil, or other. cord-retaining device, l. y

The spring lever j has a constant tendency to remain in the elevated position shown in Iig. 6, but when depressed it can be prevented from againrising by means of a small catch, j', which is hung to the har L adjacent to t-he spring lever.' Y v The endof the shaft B opposite to that to which the faceplate J is secured, terminates in a small pinion, p, which gears into the teeth of a gauge-wheel, M, hung to and rendered vertically adjustable in a slotted standard, q, of the base-plate.

This gauge-wheel has on'one side a cam-like projeeiion, fr, arranged,at every complete revolution of the said wheel, to strike t-he end ofthe sliding rod H, and push' the same in the direction of the arrow, iig. 1, so as to disengage the clutch from the driving-pulley and move the arm d into the path ofthe stop-pin l g, and thus arrest the motion of the shaft.

1n order to prevent too great a shock, and a conscqnent straining of' the machine, when the pin gstrikes the arm d', the motion of the shaft is gradually slackcned (after the driving-pulley is thrown out of gear) by means of a brake, s, acting ou the edge ofthe disk I, and operated by a cam, s1, on the gauge-wheel M, through the medium of a lever, si.

l Operation.

The reel or reels containing the tape, cord, or tine wire, which ,it is desired to wind in to connected skeins of a regular measured length, are arranged at any convenient point beneath the winding-arms K and K.

of turns that the shaft B will make during one complete revolution' of 'the gauge-wheel M is ascertained,

and the winding-arms K and K are then adjusted toward vor from each other toa proper distance to form skeins of the desired length, which distance can be readily determined,- as the number of turns of the shaft and winding-arms has been ah'eady calculated.

One end of the cord is then drawn from the reel and made fast between the coils of the holder' l', after which the rod His pushed inward toward the gauge-wheel M, so as to remove the arm d from the path of the pin g, yand to throw the clutch into gear with the drivingpulley, the shaft B then turning rapidly inthe direction of the arrows and communicating its motion to the winding-arms, upon the ends of which the cord is wound as it is drawn from the reel.

When the skein 'is nearly completed, the ca m r of the gauge-wheel will strike the end of 'the slidingnrod H and'push the jsame in the direction of the arrow 1, fig. 1, which has the effect, as before described, of throwing the driving-pulley out of gear', and of inoving thearmd' into the path'of the stop-pin g.

At the-same instant the cam 's't of the gange-whcel willl so operate the lever sz as to force the brake s against the edge of the disk I, and thus retard the m0- ton of the same, so that when the piu g strikes the arm d', which forms the positive stop, there lwill he little or no jarring of the machine.

The several parts of the machineare so arranged in respect to each other that when the motion of the shaft is thus arrested, the winding-arms, and colisequently the skein which is formedupon them, will assume a horizont-al or nearly horizontal position.

This facilitates the operation of tying the coils together', or, as I prefer, of binding them together by a paper label or tube, x, upon `which can bev marked the4 length of the skein and the name or trade-mark of the.

maker, :1s-a guarantee of quantity and quality.

After atlixing this label, the attendant slides the skein inward on the winding-arms toward the faceplate, causing to depress the spring lever j of the` har L and to assume a position at the rear of the same, as shown iu figs. 1, 2, and 6.

The tapering of the arms toward the face-plate iinmediately loosens the skein, when it ismoved toward the latter, and thus prevents the said arms from oiiering any resistance to this movement.

The abrupt shoulder of the spring lever j prevents the return of the skein toward the ends vof the arms, and (with the' retainer l') determines'the proper distance ofthe skein from the next which is to be formed, and'the consequent length o f the connecting portion y. The latter isl also guidedv toward the retainer l' by the said abrupt shoulder of the lever j, and is thus prevented from tearing the paper label a', which it might have a tendency to do if not thus guided.

- The retainer Z', as before mentioned, is attached to an adjustable plate, l, so that it can be readily moved toward or from the spring leverj, in order to deter mine the point at which eachl skein shall b'e wound upon the arms, and such adjustment will also affect the length of the connecting portion y.

When the machine isagaiu set in motion, it is permitted to make the required number of turns, and is again stopped by the gauge-wheel and devices connected therewith, when a skein of precisely the same length as the rst has been formed upon the winding arms. This skein is labeled and pushed back in the same manner as the first, the connecting-cord made fast to the retainer, and a third skein formed, and so on until the required num-ber of connected skeins, say twelve, iscontained upon the winding-arms. l

'.The spring lever j is 'then' depressedand fastened by the catch j', after which the cord is cut, ahd the wholennmber of connected -skeins withdrawn from the "arms prior to arecommenccment ofthe operation.

v To form skeins of a greater or lesser lengththan that described, it is only necessary to -replace the gangewheel M by another having a greater or lesser ,number of teeth, and to' adjust the winding-arms from or toward each other, as described. y

The shaft B', or a train of shafts deriving their motion from and regulated by the shaft B, may be furnished at -both ends with face-plates J and windingarms K and K', so as to enable a great number ot' skeins to be wound simultaneously without having to employ a separatey gauge-wheel and starting and stopping devices for each shaft. It is no necessary, however, that the precise arrangement of winding-arms above described should be adheredto, or that winding-arms. should he employed at all,"as' this depends altogether ori the charac-ter or form of the skein, hank, or ball to be formed. For instance, the lface-plate J', at' one end of the shaft B', has four radial slots h, from each of which extends a winding arm. These rvarms are tapered Aor inclined outward from the face plate in the same manner as the arms Kl and K', and i are arranged, in the present instance, to form -a square ofcord or thread, but they may he so adjusted -as to form diamond-shaped or oval coils, or, when more than four 'arms are used, they can vbe arranged to form a variety of figures. i

In some cases the arms may be covered with cardboard or thin wood, upon which the material can be wound in connected skeins just as upon the arms, and afterward removed from the latter together with the cardboard, which will serve to retain the coils in shape.

For forming circular coils I prefer to dispense with the arms and use an inwardly-tapering reel, such as that shown in connection with the face-plate J2 of the shaft B.

This reel has a longitudinal slot or recess, t, m which is arranged a cord-retainer, u', similar to the retainer l before described, and the said slot is of sufficient4 width to receive the'paper tubes or labels whilethe latter are .being aixcd tothe coils.

The reel has wa threaded stem, w, orequivalent fastening, by whichit may he secured to the face-plate in such a manner as to be readily detached from the same, for the coils are, in this case, withdrawn from the reduced inner end of the rcel, instead of from the `outer end, as in the ease ofthe winding arms.

It will now be evident without further description that, by means of the above machine, skeins of a uniform and known measured length can be produced, while every facility is afforded for tying the folds of each skein together, or for; aflixing to the same a paper label or tube, upon which can be marked theiength of the skein and makers name or trade=mark, 85e.

Another important feature of this machine is that it produces the measured skeins, connected one to the other, this atiording anpopportunity to the retailer to sellone skein of a given length or any multiple of that length in one continuous piece, without the waste incident to articles cut into short pieces.

Claims.

1. The rotating arms K K', tapering or inclined outward from the face-plate to which they are attached, in combination with a cam-wheel, M, or its equivalent,

operating in unison with the arms, and causedto arrest the movement of the same, as set forth, for dctermining the quantity of thread-'in cach skein, wound upon the said arms.

2. The rotating arms K K', in combination with the lever j, plate l, retainer l', and catch j', or their equivalents, and so` arranged that after a; portion of thread has been folded to form a skein or skeins, the latter Y -zue retainednpon the arms in connection with ihe thread, and without; interfering with the'folding of the same into additional skeins substantially as described.

3. The combination of .the said rotating arms with aber L and spring lever j, arranged to guide the connecting portion y, so as to prevent the tearing-of the peper abei x.

4. The combination of the said springiiever and bar L, with an adj ustable plate, l, and oord-retainer axed to thesame, for determining the length of the oonneot-ing portion y.

5. lhe combination, with the revolving arms and thread-guide, of the arm L, adjustable in respect tov the zinns, for the purpose described.

The shaib B, carrying the disks I J, loose driving-wheel D, and clutch F, in combination with the siidingrod H, carrying tbe'arms d d', and operating as described. Y

witnesses.'

A 7. The combination ofthe canbwbeel M or its equvnient, sliding rod H, its arm d', disk I, and pin g, o9- erating substantially as described. 8. The combination, with the revolving disk` J and its arms K K', of the disk I, brake-lever s, 'and camwheel M, or equivalent devices, whereby the rotation of the said disk J may be gradually arrested.l 9. The within-described stopping and starting mechnnism, when the same is made common to a series of machines connectf-:d by cog-wheels or other gearing. In testimony whereof I have signed my name tov this specification in the presence of two subscribing GEORGE PENE-ICE FARMER.

Witnesses:

HERBERT G. Amrmnn, ALFRED YOUNGMAN. 

